Best of Energy 2008 - Best Energy Drink

December 30, 1:08 AMCaffeine ExaminerBig Red Boots  

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This is it.  The votes have been tabulated - and all the reviewers have been heard.  There has been over 250 caffeinated energy products sampled this year - from herbal energy patches to warm cans of energy soda found in seedy Mexican cafes.  From this extensive list, there have been a few products that have separated themselves from the pack - and stand as more than worthy additions to any fan.  These drinks, shots and foods stand apart from the hundreds of Red Bull Clones, Monster wannabees and go beyond normal expectations, leaving our tongues on fire and out eyelids glued to the back of our heads.

During December 29th, There will be separate reviews for different categories;Best Energy Drinks, Best Shots, Best energy Products - which will list the best from coffees, mixes and alcoholic caffeinated drinks.  Please feel free to voice your opinions, as well as all requests for consideration for the 2009 Energy in Review.

Best Energy Drink - Spike Shotgun
Spike Shotgun has released one of the strongest and most satisfying energy drinks on the market today.The Shotgun is a serious energy drink - not meant for kids or anyone not old enough to ride the roller coasters. At 350mg of anhydrous caffeine, plus enough adaptogenic herbs to fuel a dozen 5 hour energies, slamming this drink will get you running circles around your anyone. If you are looking for something that will give you that edge that Quad shot espressos do not do for you anymore, look no further. The exciting thing is this also happens with no calories and a very surprisingly fantastic taste. It is lightly carbonated and fruity, withougt being too sour or sweet. It has a light flavor that is just as easy to drink up when you open the can to the last drop. It even looks serious - not pulling any punches and lets you know up front that you are in for one heck of a ride. There are enough warnings that this will, hopefully, stay out of the hands of fools and kids. The can looks very serious, with great lines and a fantastic design. You can even sip this drink if you are too health conscious to chug, as the flavor and carbonation does not go sour for a long time after you open it.

Best Tasting Energy Drink - Cocaine Energy Drink
This was a very hard category to choose from - as the taste depends on what you are drinking for. A Monster is great for just chugging a light tasty soda, while Jetset Club Soda is fantastic for having no flavor at all. But if you want an energy drink that tastes like you are getting a boost - something to help condition your mind and wake up all your senses, Cocaine energy drink has a flavor combination that perks you up more than anyones. The mix of cayenne peppers and strawberries tastes like heaven - surpassing all other flavor combinations I have tried. The added benefit is the cayenne will wake up your taste buds and warm you going down - and the fumes given off by the carbonation will wake up your olifactory senses. And like a good spicy Mole' or curry, once you start in on the very potent 280mg in the 8oz can, you can not stop. Yes, the drink might seem like a novelty, but the taste propels this way past any misconceptions. In a world awash with Red Bull Clones, Cocaine Energy stands above all the rest (once you get past the urge to sneeze).

Best Energy Drink Packaging: Bomba Energy
There were many drinks which excelled in packaging, unique and original ideas, all going out on a limb asthetically, artistically, and ethically. There were some companies who pushed the limits of design on the standard 8 or 16 ounce cans, and others who worked at a new and original concept. Bomba took their idea to new heights, using NOTHING that any company had designed before. While Sum Poosie was unique in serving us scanitly clothed 12oz wrapped bottles, Bawls gave us ribbed dots and Battery used their named concept to create a great 12oz battery can, Bomba went all the way with their grenade concept - with a very unique cap, glass bottle and packaging. Create a glass grenade is very provocative and alarming, yet fits the whole idea of energy drinks perfectly. Their original cap that you pull like a grenade ring, coupled with the pineapple shaped glass almost make you want to save the bottle rather than drink it. This package designer should be given accolades helping blow up a small time drink operation to straspheric heights.

Strongest Energy Drink Redline Rush
Of all the questions I get on reviewing energy drinks, the most popular is what the strongest drink is, what the scariest energy drink I ever tasted was and what energy drink should you keep away from kids. The answer to all those is the same drink - Redline Rush. This drink goes beyond all others out there, providing your body excess of everything it would need to speed your body up and get your metabolism and heart rate at a hummingbirds level. In one small 8oz bottle, there is 500mg of caffeine, or the equivalent of 6 1/2 shots of espresso.There is also Yohimbe, bark extract from a tree in Africa, to stimulate fat loss by increasing your blood flow (yohimbine is also a well known aphrodesiac). We also have Evodiamine, and Vinpocetine, Tryptophan and cyclic adenosine monophosphate. which helps raise thyroid horomone levels. This stuff puts your body in thermogenisis, where you are both hot and cold at the same time, burning calories and promoting uncontrollable shudders. Yes, the shuddering and shaking is supposed to happen to you. If you don't take my word for it, this is the warning on the bottle -
"WARNING: NOT FOR USE BY INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS. DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR NURSING. Consult a physician or licensed qualifie health care professional before using this product if you have a family history of, heart disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression or other psychiatric condition, glaucoma, difficulty in urinating, prostate enlargement, or seizure disorder, or if you are using a monoamine oxidize inhibitor (MAOI) or any other dietary supplement, prescription drug, or over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine, pseudo-ephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine (ingredients found in certain allergy, asthma, cough or cold, and weight control products). Do not exceed recommended serving. Exceeding recommended serving may cause adverse health effects. Discontinue use and call a physician or licensed qualified health care professional immediately if you experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, severe headache, shortness of breath, or other similar symptoms. Individuals who are sensitive to the effects of caffeine or have a medical condition should consult a licensed health care professional before consuming this product. Do not use this product if you are more than 15 pounds over weight. The consumer assumes total liability if this product is used in a manner inconsistent with label guidelines. Do not use for weight reduction. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN."
And they mean it too.

Best Energy Drink - Nutrition: Verve
This is for those snobs out there who think any energy drink is bad for them because they are elitist snobs. This particular drink gives you all your Vitamin A, Bs, C, D and E, as well all your daily essential minerals. This also has a ton of non-essential minerals, like chromium, zirconium and floride. You have all your metals, from tin to copper, nickel, gold, titanium and silver in here too. The list of minerals go on and on and on. It also will help you run circles around your yoga-mat-toting acai-berry-sniffing latte-swilling friends with energy boosting hers like D- Ribose and Choline, aloe vera, and green tea, plus normal energy ingredients like inositol and taurine. Even the sweetener is a decent choice, going with sucralose as opposed to so many other evil sugar free sweeteners. And the kicker is all the mangosteen, a fruit with the highest ORAC of any fruit - and helps this taste absolutely fantastic as well.